Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the eleven brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have issued a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $40.45.

BAX has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Citigroup dropped their price target on Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 11th.

Baxter International Stock Performance

NYSE:BAX opened at $29.41 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $15.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 147.06, a PEG ratio of 12.74 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $31.58 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $34.80. Baxter International has a twelve month low of $28.33 and a twelve month high of $44.01.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last announced its earnings results on Friday, November 8th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.78 by $0.02. Baxter International had a net margin of 0.77% and a return on equity of 18.30%. The business had revenue of $3.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.85 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.68 earnings per share. Baxter International’s quarterly revenue was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Baxter International will post 1.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, November 29th were paid a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 29th. Baxter International’s payout ratio is 340.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baxter International

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BAX. M&R Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 9.5% during the third quarter. M&R Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,480 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $170,000 after purchasing an additional 390 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in Baxter International by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,517 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $285,000 after buying an additional 459 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Baxter International by 23.2% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,519 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $96,000 after buying an additional 475 shares during the period. LRI Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Baxter International by 60.8% in the 3rd quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 1,560 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 590 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First PREMIER Bank purchased a new position in shares of Baxter International during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Institutional investors own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

Baxter International Company Profile

Baxter International Inc, through its subsidiaries, develops and provides a portfolio of healthcare products worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Medical Products and Therapies, Healthcare Systems and Technologies, Pharmaceuticals, and Kidney Care. The company offers sterile intravenous (IV) solutions; infusion systems and devices; parenteral nutrition therapies; generic injectable pharmaceuticals; surgical hemostat and sealant products, advanced surgical equipment; smart bed systems; patient monitoring and diagnostic technologies; and respiratory health devices, as well as advanced equipment for the surgical space, including surgical video technologies, precision positioning devices, and other accessories.